II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 685 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 20, 2014 

Received 

AN ACT 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the American 

Fighter Aces, collectively, in recognition of their heroic 

military service and defense of our country’s freedom 

throughout the history of aviation warfare. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘American Fighter Aces 

3 Congressional Gold Medal Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 The Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) An American Fighter Ace is a fighter pilot 

7 who has served honorably in a United States mili8 tary service and who has destroyed 5 or more con9 firmed enemy aircraft in aerial combat during a war 

10 or conflict in which American armed forces have 

11 participated. 

12 (2) Beginning with World War I, and the first 

13 use of airplanes in warfare, military services have 

14 maintained official records of individual aerial vic15 tory credits during every major conflict. Of more 

16 than 60,000 United States military fighter pilots 

17 that have taken to the air, less than 1,500 have be18 come Fighter Aces. 

19 (3) Americans became Fighter Aces in the 

20 Spanish Civil War, Sino-Japanese War, Russian 

21 Civil War, Arab-Israeli War, and others. Addition22 ally, American military groups’ recruited United 

23 States military pilots to form the American Volun24 teer Group, Eagle Squadron, and others that pro25 duced American-born Fighter Aces fighting against 

26 axis powers prior to Pearl Harbor. 


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1 (4) The concept of a Fighter Ace is that they 

2 fought for freedom and democracy across the globe, 

3 flying in the face of the enemy to defend freedom 

4 throughout the history of aerial combat. American5 born citizens became Fighter Aces flying under the 

6 flag of United States allied countries and became 

7 some of the highest scoring Fighter Aces of their re8 spective wars. 

9 (5) American Fighter Aces hail from every 

10 State in the Union, representing numerous ethnic, 

11 religious, and cultural backgrounds. 

12 (6) Fighter Aces possess unique skills that have 

13 made them successful in aerial combat. These in14 clude courage, judgment, keen marksmanship, con15 centration, drive, persistence, and split-second think16 ing that makes an Ace a war fighter with unique 

17 and valuable flight driven skills. 

18 (7) The Aces’ training, bravery, skills, sacrifice, 

19 attention to duty, and innovative spirit illustrate the 

20 most celebrated traits of the United States military, 

21 including service to country and the protection of 

22 freedom and democracy. 

23 (8) American Fighter Aces have led distin24 guished careers in the military, education, private 

25 enterprise, and politics. Many have held the rank of 


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1 General or Admiral and played leadership roles in 

2 multiple war efforts from WWI to Vietnam through 

3 many decades. In some cases they became the high4 est ranking officers for following wars. 

5 (9) The extraordinary heroism of the American 

6 Fighter Ace boosted American morale at home and 

7 encouraged many men and women to enlist to fight 

8 for America and democracy across the globe. 

9 (10) Fighter Aces were among America’s most10 prized military fighters during wars. When they ro11 tated back to the United States after combat tours, 

12 they trained cadets in fighter pilot tactics that they 

13 had learned over enemy skies. The teaching of com14 bat dogfighting to young aviators strengthened our 

15 fighter pilots to become more successful in the skies. 

16 The net effect of this was to shorten wars and save 

17 the lives of young Americans. 

18 (11) Following military service, many Fighter 

19 Aces became test pilots due to their superior flying 

20 skills and quick thinking abilities. 

21 (12) Richard Bong was America’s top Ace of all 

22 wars scoring a confirmed 40 enemy victories in 

23 WWII. He was from Poplar, Wisconsin, and flew the 

24 P–38 Lightning in all his combat sorties flying for 

25 the 49th Fighter Group. He was killed in 1945 durVerDate Mar 15 2010 04:05 May 21, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H685.RDS H685

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1 ing a P–80 test flight in which the engine flamed 

2 out on takeoff. 

3 (13) The American Fighter Aces are one of the 

4 most decorated military groups in American history. 

5 Twenty-two Fighter Aces have achieved the rank of 

6 Admiral in the Navy. Seventy-nine Fighter Aces 

7 have achieved the rank of General in the Army, Ma8 rines, and Air Force. Nineteen Medals of Honor 

9 have been awarded to individual Fighter Aces. 

10 (14) The American Fighter Aces Association 

11 has existed for over 50 years as the primary organi12 zation with which the Aces have preserved their his13 tory and told their stories to the American public. 

14 The Association established and maintains the Out15 standing Cadet in Airmanship Award presented an16 nually at the United States Air Force Academy; es17 tablished and maintains an awards program for out18 standing fighter pilot ‘‘lead-in’’ trainee graduates 

19 from the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps; and 

20 sponsors a scholarship program for descendants of 

21 American Fighter Aces. 

22 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

23 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 

24 the House of Representatives and the President pro tem25 pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 


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1 for the presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a single 

2 gold medal of appropriate design in honor of the American 

3 Fighter Aces, collectively, in recognition of their heroic 

4 military service and defense of our country’s freedom, 

5 which has spanned the history of aviation warfare. 

6 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purposes of the 

7 award referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the 

8 Treasury shall strike the gold medal with suitable em9 blems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 

10 Secretary. 

11 (c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Following the award of the 

13 gold medal in honor of the American Fighter Aces, 

14 the gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian In15 stitution, where it will be available for display as ap16 propriate and available for research. 

17 (2) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.—It is the sense 

18 of the Congress that the Smithsonian Institution 

19 should make the gold medal awarded pursuant to 

20 this Act available for display elsewhere, particularly 

21 at appropriate locations associated with the Amer22 ican Fighter Aces, and that preference should be 

23 given to locations affiliated with the Smithsonian In24 stitution. 


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1 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

2 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

3 bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 

4 under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at 

5 a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 

6 materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, 

7 and the cost of the gold medal. 

8 SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDALS. 

9 The medal struck pursuant to this Act is a national 

10 medal for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States 

11 Code. 

Passed the House of Representatives May 19, 2014. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 

By ROBERT F. REEVES, 

Deputy Clerk. 


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